Understanding When Consumers Spend, Buy and Switch Brands During a House Move.
Moving home is one of the most powerful triggers for consumer spending. Research consistently shows that spending increases significantly throughout the moving journey, creating a unique opportunity for brands to acquire new customers when purchasing intent is naturally elevated.
In fact, HomeMover analysis has shown that revenue can be up to 10 times higher one month after a move than six months beforehand, while 72% of spend occurs after the move itself, demonstrating that the opportunity extends well beyond moving day.
Yet many marketers still treat moving home as a single event.
The reality is very different.
A house move creates a series of buying moments that begin before the move, peak during the transition and continue long after someone has settled into their new home. Each stage presents different customer needs, priorities and purchasing behaviours.
This is known as the HomeMover Wave.
Understanding where customers are within this wave helps brands deliver more relevant communications, reach consumers when they are most receptive and build stronger customer relationships from the very beginning.
The HomeMover Wave Explained
Many marketers focus exclusively on the point at which somebody moves house. However, the real opportunity lies in understanding that moving home is a journey rather than a single moment.
Consumers begin researching products and services weeks or even months before they move. Spending often accelerates immediately after the move and can remain elevated for more than a year as households establish new routines, furnish spaces and make ongoing investments in their home and lifestyle.
This extended period of increased purchasing activity is what makes the HomeMover audience so valuable.
Rather than a single acquisition opportunity, brands have multiple opportunities to engage consumers with relevant products, services and messages throughout the journey.
The Five Stages of the HomeMover Wave
- Preparing to Move
- The Moving Window
- Settling Into the Property
- Building New Habits
- Seasonal & Milestone Opportunities
Each stage creates different buying behaviours and therefore different marketing opportunities.
Stage 1: Preparing to Move – The Research and Planning Phase
The HomeMover journey often starts months before the move takes place.
Consumers begin researching products, services and suppliers, comparing options and making decisions that will support the move itself.
During this period, the focus is often on planning, organisation and reducing stress.
Common Purchases
- Home insurance
- Utilities
- Broadband and telecoms
- Financial products
- Removal services
- Storage solutions
- DIY materials
- Decorating supplies
- Home improvement planning
The Opportunity
This stage provides brands with an opportunity to enter consideration early.
Many household decisions are made before a move takes place, meaning brands that appear at the research stage can often gain an advantage before competitors are even considered.
Stage 2: The Moving Window – A Period of Immediate Needs
As moving day approaches, priorities shift towards practicality and urgency.
Consumers need products and services quickly, often making purchasing decisions based on convenience, availability and trust.
At this point, buying behaviour becomes more immediate and reactive.
Common Purchases
- Cleaning products
- Essential household items
- Utilities setup
- Broadband installation
- Security products
- Home maintenance services
- Furniture deliveries
- White goods and appliances
The Opportunity
Consumers are actively looking for solutions to immediate problems.
Brands that make life easier during this transition period can capture attention at a highly relevant moment in the customer journey.
Stage 3: Settling Into the Home – Where Spending Often Accelerates
Many marketers assume spending peaks around moving day itself.
In reality, some of the most significant spending often occurs in the weeks and months afterwards.
As consumers begin turning a property into a home, spending naturally increases across multiple categories.
Common Purchases
- Furniture
- Appliances
- Soft furnishings
- Home décor
- Garden products
- Flooring
- Smart home technology
- Home upgrades
The Opportunity
This is often one of the most valuable stages within the HomeMover Wave.
Customers are actively investing in their surroundings and are often open to discovering new brands that can help them complete their vision for their new home.
Stage 4: Establishing New Habits – From Purchases to Lifestyle
Once the initial excitement of the move has settled, consumers begin building new routines.
They establish shopping habits, choose new suppliers, discover local services and develop ongoing purchasing behaviours.
This is often where long-term customer value is created.
Common Purchases
- Grocery and retail shopping
- Subscription services
- Health and fitness memberships
- Financial services
- Pet products and services
- Family-focused purchases
- Leisure and entertainment
The Opportunity
At this stage, the opportunity is not simply to generate a sale.
It is to become part of a consumer’s regular purchasing behaviour and secure a longer-term relationship that extends well beyond their move.
Stage 5: Seasonal and Milestone Opportunities
The Wave Continues
The HomeMover opportunity doesn’t end once someone has settled into their new property.
The first year in a new home creates multiple additional purchasing triggers linked to seasons, celebrations and personal milestones.
First Christmas
For many households, Christmas in a new home creates significant additional spending.
Common purchases include:
- Decorations
- Entertaining products
- Furniture
- Food and drink
- Gifts and seasonal purchases
First Summer
Warmer weather often creates another spike in spending.
Common purchases include:
- Garden furniture
- Barbecues
- Outdoor dining
- Landscaping
- Garden improvements
Home Anniversaries
As homeowners reflect on their first year, many begin new improvement projects or make additional upgrades to their property.
The Opportunity
Seasonal campaigns provide an opportunity to re-engage HomeMovers with messages that feel relevant to what they are experiencing at that specific moment.
Why Understanding the Wave Matters
The most successful HomeMover campaigns do not simply target people who have moved home.
They identify where consumers are within the HomeMover Wave and align communications with the needs they have at that stage.
Someone planning a move has very different priorities to somebody furnishing a living room. Equally, a customer celebrating their first Christmas in a new home will have different needs again.
Understanding these differences allows brands to:
- Deliver more relevant communications
- Improve customer acquisition performance
- Reach consumers when spending intent is highest
- Increase response and conversion rates
- Build stronger customer relationships
- Drive greater long-term customer value
The result is a more effective and more measurable marketing strategy.
Turning the HomeMover Wave Into a Customer Acquisition Channel
The HomeMover Wave demonstrates that moving home is not a single marketing opportunity. It is a series of opportunities that unfold across months of changing customer needs and spending behaviours.
Brands that understand this can communicate more effectively, engage consumers at the right moment and build stronger relationships from the outset.
By aligning audience targeting, timing and messaging with each stage of the HomeMover Wave, marketers can transform a significant life event into a scalable and measurable customer acquisition channel.
The results can be significant. With spending continuing long after moving day and campaigns delivering ROI of up to 13:1, the HomeMover Wave presents a compelling opportunity for brands looking to acquire new customers and drive long-term value.
Because when it comes to HomeMovers, success isn’t about reaching people who have moved.
It’s about understanding where they are in the wave and what they need next.
